CVE-2026-72032
net/mlx5: HWS, fix matcher leak on resize target setup failure
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5: HWS, fix matcher leak on resize target setup failure hws_bwc_matcher_move() allocates a replacement matcher before setting it as the resize target. If mlx5hws_matcher_resize_set_target() fails, the replacement matcher is not attached anywhere and is leaked. Fix the leak by destroying the replacement matcher before returning from the resize-target failure path. The bug was first flagged by an experimental analysis tool we are developing for kernel memory-management bugs while analyzing v6.13-rc1. The tool is still under development and is not yet publicly available. Manual inspection confirms that the bug is still present in v7.1.1. An x86_64 allyesconfig build showed no new warnings. As we do not have a mlx5 HWS-capable device to test with, no runtime testing was able to be performed.
INFO
Published Date :
Aug. 15, 2026, 6:21 a.m.
Last Modified :
Aug. 17, 2026, 6:18 a.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Solution
- Destroy replacement matcher on resize target setup failure.
- Apply the patch to the mlx5 driver.
- Update the Linux kernel to a patched version.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-72032.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-72032 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-72032
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-72032 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-72032 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
CVE Modified by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Aug. 17, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Changed Affected [{'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '2111bb970c787b16b002dc726c1d296ce87a00fb', 'lessThan': 'a751ccdc6ea9bde154f25a5ba66926f462f96c19', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '2111bb970c787b16b002dc726c1d296ce87a00fb', 'lessThan': '1dce4f4bb3c1c02080b1a45bdd2abb2913a6642a', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '2111bb970c787b16b002dc726c1d296ce87a00fb', 'lessThan': 'ae0265f0a95aaacef59d560a3e1ea36db8be9a52', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '2111bb970c787b16b002dc726c1d296ce87a00fb', 'lessThan': 'bb09d0e64ecaa0aa0f7d1133a1696ed74dead295', 'versionType': 'git'}], 'programFiles': ['drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/steering/hws/bwc.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}, {'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '6.12'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '6.12', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.12.101', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.12.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.18.40', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.18.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.1.5', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '7.1.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.2-rc2', 'versionType': 'original_commit_for_fix', 'lessThanOrEqual': '*'}], 'programFiles': ['drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/steering/hws/bwc.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}] [{'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '2111bb970c787b16b002dc726c1d296ce87a00fb', 'lessThan': 'a751ccdc6ea9bde154f25a5ba66926f462f96c19', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '2111bb970c787b16b002dc726c1d296ce87a00fb', 'lessThan': '1dce4f4bb3c1c02080b1a45bdd2abb2913a6642a', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '2111bb970c787b16b002dc726c1d296ce87a00fb', 'lessThan': 'ae0265f0a95aaacef59d560a3e1ea36db8be9a52', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '2111bb970c787b16b002dc726c1d296ce87a00fb', 'lessThan': 'bb09d0e64ecaa0aa0f7d1133a1696ed74dead295', 'versionType': 'git'}], 'programFiles': ['drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/steering/hws/bwc.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}, {'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '6.12'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '6.12', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.12.101', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.12.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.18.40', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.18.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.1.5', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '7.1.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.2', 'versionType': 'original_commit_for_fix', 'lessThanOrEqual': '*'}], 'programFiles': ['drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/steering/hws/bwc.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}] -
New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Aug. 15, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Affected [{'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '2111bb970c787b16b002dc726c1d296ce87a00fb', 'lessThan': 'a751ccdc6ea9bde154f25a5ba66926f462f96c19', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '2111bb970c787b16b002dc726c1d296ce87a00fb', 'lessThan': '1dce4f4bb3c1c02080b1a45bdd2abb2913a6642a', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '2111bb970c787b16b002dc726c1d296ce87a00fb', 'lessThan': 'ae0265f0a95aaacef59d560a3e1ea36db8be9a52', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '2111bb970c787b16b002dc726c1d296ce87a00fb', 'lessThan': 'bb09d0e64ecaa0aa0f7d1133a1696ed74dead295', 'versionType': 'git'}], 'programFiles': ['drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/steering/hws/bwc.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}, {'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '6.12'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '6.12', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.12.101', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.12.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.18.40', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.18.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.1.5', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '7.1.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.2-rc2', 'versionType': 'original_commit_for_fix', 'lessThanOrEqual': '*'}], 'programFiles': ['drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/steering/hws/bwc.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}] Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5: HWS, fix matcher leak on resize target setup failure hws_bwc_matcher_move() allocates a replacement matcher before setting it as the resize target. If mlx5hws_matcher_resize_set_target() fails, the replacement matcher is not attached anywhere and is leaked. Fix the leak by destroying the replacement matcher before returning from the resize-target failure path. The bug was first flagged by an experimental analysis tool we are developing for kernel memory-management bugs while analyzing v6.13-rc1. The tool is still under development and is not yet publicly available. Manual inspection confirms that the bug is still present in v7.1.1. An x86_64 allyesconfig build showed no new warnings. As we do not have a mlx5 HWS-capable device to test with, no runtime testing was able to be performed. Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1dce4f4bb3c1c02080b1a45bdd2abb2913a6642a Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a751ccdc6ea9bde154f25a5ba66926f462f96c19 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ae0265f0a95aaacef59d560a3e1ea36db8be9a52 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bb09d0e64ecaa0aa0f7d1133a1696ed74dead295